A Japanese political party visits China to bolster frayed ties. The junior coalition partner of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has dispatched a team to Beijing to restore relations between the two countries. This trip, initially scheduled for the summer but postponed due to tensions between Asia’s two largest economies, occurred earlier this week.
On Wednesday, Natsuo Yamaguchi led a delegation from the Komeito party to meet with Cai Qi, the head of the powerful Secretariat of the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) Central Committee, which runs the CPC’s daily operations.
Cai was reportedly overheard advising the Japanese delegation that the ruling parties of both nations should “accurately grasp each other’s development and strategic intentions.” The Chinese official media reported this statement.
Cai, who is also the fifth-ranking member of the Communist Party of China’s (CPC) Politburo Standing Committee, the top tier of political power in China under President Xi Jinping, stated that both sides should work together to advance a “positive” and “friendly” mutual understanding.
The visit took place just after Xi had a rare face-to-face conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, also the LDP leader. The conversation occurred on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in the United States last week, during which both parties reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a close strategic alliance.
The two Asian neighbors have come into conflict over a variety of topics, including Japan’s dumping of treated radioactive water into the ocean, maritime territorial claims, the incarceration of Japanese citizens, Taiwan, and export limits, which have resulted in strained bilateral relations.
In a study of Japanese companies that already have operations in China, issued on Tuesday, the number of companies wanting to grow in the country dipped below 30% for the first time. This is a reflection of the tense relations that exist between the two countries.
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